Seam-ripping device.



PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

J. w. ORMSBY. SEAM RIPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 6, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN .WHITNEY ()RMSBY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

' SEAM-RIPPING DEVICE. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 16, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WHITNEY ORMSBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seam-RippingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for ripping seams, hems,and bindings formed in sewed fabrics.

The object of my invention is to provide a more simple and efiicientdevice than. has heretofore been made for holding a metallic cuttingblade upon a persons finger or thumb while in the act of cutting thestitches of a seam.

My invention pertains more especially, among other things, first, to thepeculiar construction of the blade-supporting thimble, which is formedof a single piece of flexible wire; second, to the peculiar shape of theblade-supporting thimble, which is made to conform to the shape of theend of a persons finger upon which it is worn while in use, and, third,to the manner of forming the blade at a distance from the converging endof the thimble.

The construction of my invention is explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinalsection of my device attached to a persons finger. Fig. 2 represents anend view of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an end view ofa modified form of the device circular in cross-section. Fig. 4 is aside View of the device shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a side view of amodified form of the device.

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters throughout theseveral views.

The thimble A is formed of a single piece of wire B wound spirall eachsuccessive coil from the front end 0 the finger toward the opposite endbeing successively. larger than the preceding coil, whereby the thimbleis given a conical shape.

C represents the cutting-blade formed at the front end of the thimble byflattening and sharpening the end of the Wire. The cutting-blade O ispreferably located at a slight distance from the frontend D of thethimble, the end of the wire being formed with right-angular bends E andF, whereby the blade is brought at a slight distance from and parallelwith the front end of the thimble.

In the preferred form of thimble shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the coils arewound, as stated, to conform to the shape of the front end of a personsfinger. To accomplish this object, the mandrel upon which the wire iswound is first turned to conform to the desired shape bothlongitudinally and in crosssection. The thimble formed thereon willnecessarily be of the desired shape and when placed upon a personsfinger will nicely fit the same.

It will be understood that the upper coil of which the thimble is formedis slightly smaller than the precedin one and is free to yield andspread outwardly as the thimble is placed upon the fin er and will thencontract around the sma ler part of the finger and securely retain thethimble in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A seam-ripping device comprising a thimble formed of a plurality ofspiral coils of wire provided at one end with a cuttingblade.

' 2. A seam-ripping device comprising a thimble formed of a plurality ofcoils of spirally-wound wire, each coil from the front end beingsuccessively larger than the preceding coil, said front end beingrovided with a cutting-blade formed integra ly therewith.

3. A seam-ripping device comprising a thimble formed of wire woundspirally to conform to the shape of a persons finger, said thimble beingprovided at its front end witlli a cutting-blade formed integrallytherewit v 4. A seam-ripping device comprising a thimble formed of Wirewound spirally to conform to the shape of a person s finger, the

end of the Wire forming the front coil being In testimony whereof Ifaffix my signature sharpened to form a cutting-blade and the in thepresence of two Witnesses.

rear or inner coil being of less diameter in cross-section than thecentral coil and'adapt- JOHN WHITNEY ORMSBY' ed to contract around andclosely fit the fin- Witnesses:

ger when in place thereon, all substantially JAs. B. ERWIN, as and forthe purpose specified. O. R. ERWIN.

